Apology and Acceptance
by Leoshi
Summary: First Valeshipping attempt. Things are not going well for Isaac as he and his friends stay in Vault for a few days. Things like a drowning Jenna, a furious Felix, and a scarred Sheba. But, perhaps, he can be forgiven...if only by one person.


**Apology and Acceptance**

A _Valeshipping_oneshot by the supreme overseer of chocolate, Leoshi!

!Disclaimer! Once again, none of the cool people I've used or amazing things mentioned belong to me. Camelot owns them all, so just let me write.

What's this, you say? A story that doesn't involve Sandshipping goodness? Well, rejoice anyway – this is a Valeshipping story, obviously focusing on Isaac and Jenna. This oneshot was requested by the cool-to-the-end Mr-Mikul, and he left all the hard work to me. Bwahaha.

**Isaac and Jenna story:** Apology and Acceptance

Before now, when Jenna had closed the door on Isaac, she was terribly upset. It was hard for her to forgive what he had done, and her pride wouldn't allow such a misdeed to go away so simply – there was more to it than just apologies and acceptance. That was also why she was mad at herself – she didn't want anything more than apology and acceptance.

Now, as she closed the door on Sheba's bloodied form, she began to think a little clearer – she was thinking with a rested and rational mind. Her brother had been made a pitiful mess at the Jupiter Adept's bedside, completely shattering the idealized version he'd had of himself, and that others had of him. But then, Jenna realized, her brother was quick to anger and often rash, but never foolish. Yet Sheba was often calm and collected, however vengeful when provoked. So how had this come to be?

It began merely two days prior to the present. Jenna had been busying herself with the list of chores she had been assigned, and it brought her to the edge of the rivers bordering Vault. The land had just survived harsh storms, and the rushing water had swollen upon the bank. Jenna felt confident, however, that she would be fine – Isaac had joined her side as she had left town. Together, the two managed to speed up the process of her jobs, such as gathering wild blooms of greens and checking on the traps set to fend of wilder beasts.

Neither adventurer had seen the mass erosion that had taken place below the bank, or that the water was speeding along more dangerously than normal. Isaac, earlier, had observed that the water did seem more swollen than what was expected for the storms – almost as though another water supply had been added to the rivers. At Jenna's skepticism, the two pushed the notion aside.

What had happened should have been anticipated, and guarded against. While the two friends were taking a small break in work, they relaxed along the cooled side of the river. Jenna had dug her hand into the moist earth, commenting on how she sometimes felt envious of Venus Adepts. Her digging into the soil had caused a much larger tear in the ground, and coupled with the erosion and torrential river, caused Jenna to fall into the dirtied water.

As speculated prior, the water had gotten larger than necessary, and was moving much quicker than what was deemed safe. Jenna was about to be whisked away by the act of nature.

Naturally, Isaac had tried to help. He called her name several times as he ran down the length of the river. He slipped on the nearby bridge as Jenna vainly grasped it, landing hard on his back. He recovered quickly, and twisted to grab hold of Jenna's soaked arm.

The poor girl was trapped underneath the bridge's boards, and Isaac was panicking. He pulled on her arm with one hand, and braced himself against the wood with the other. The problem was that he was trying to pull her against the powerful current, and only succeeded in straining her further. Finally, he tapped into the reserves of Venus power he possessed, willing the ground underneath them to shoot upward.

A cylindrical shape of mud was dislodged from the riverbed, and was shot in the direction of Vault, carrying with it a drowning girl, a panicked boy, and a sturdy bridge. The rushing water swiftly filled the new hole, and continued on its' way.

Isaac fell onto newly soaked soil, and hastily crawled over to his friend's side. Jenna was left trembling and frightened, her Aura spells useless against the world of wet. Isaac's spell to save her from the river, however, had left him with next to nothing, and as such he only managed enough Curative power to regulate her breathing and heartbeat. He had but one option – rush back to town and face Felix.

--

"You're a damn fool, you know that?!" Felix had said as he poured spell after spell into his shivering sister. "After all the traveling you did, I'd think you would have learned to not leave things to chance! Be aware of your surroundings, Isaac! If you're not, this and _worse_ can happen!!"

Isaac had sprinted back to Vault, Jenna in his arms. He shouted for help as soon as he neared the gate – typical how Felix had been given a job near it. The Prox-trained warrior had seen Jenna's cold form, and rushed her back to the inn. There, he, Isaac, and Sheba – who had completed her assignments earlier, and was enjoying a fruit – had set the Mars Adept in a room. Felix began his healing, all the while proving his rage on the second Earth warrior.

"Look, Felix," the unfortunate boy had vainly begun. "I didn't know how much the river had changed…or how far any erosion had gone. I'm terribly sorry, and I wish I could help…"

"The best help you can give me, _friend_, is to leave right now – otherwise, when I'm through with you, I won't have any more Curing power for my sister."

Isaac was stunned by the threat, and quietly stepped out of the room, leaving Sheba and Felix to tend to the girl. He was distraught, and in his upset state, vowed to never let Jenna face danger like that again.

Anyone else was better. He swore to that. Just don't have her get hurt again.

--

The new day followed, and Jenna had made a complete recovery. She didn't blame Isaac for the incident, though her brother did. Knowing that Felix would not only hold onto his anger for days, but would also restrict her having contact with the boy, left her with little to do. Felix had asked her to be careful from then on before excusing himself to regain his power. Jenna was left with Sheba, and the two began to talk.

"I am real sorry this happened to you, Jenna," Sheba started. The friends looked at each other for a moment, allowing the tension associated with the statement to build. "I can't help but feel responsible, you know?"

Jenna shook her head. "It's nothing you did, sis. It was all me – I just wish Felix would see it that way."

Over the course of their adventures, Jenna had taken on a role in Sheba's life as one with wisdom. As such, following the union of the two groups, Jenna had taken to referring to Sheba as her little sister. The friendship between the two had only grown stronger since, and their conversations were often meaningful.

"I know that. But think about it this way, Jen…if I'm feeling sorry for what happened to you, and I had absolutely no part to play in it, how must Isaac be feeling? I mean, he was near you the whole time, and – no offense – ultimately failed at reviving you. He must be feeling incredibly depressed right now."

Jenna nodded her understanding. "Yeah, I know…but what can I do, Sheba? You know as well as I do that Felix will do everything to keep me from Isaac right now, until the two sort things out."

The blonde girl nodded, an idea striking her. "But he can't keep me confined!" At Jenna's wondering gaze, she explained. "I'll have a talk with Isaac for you. I'll see how he's doing, and let him know that you don't blame him. That's alright, right?"

Jenna smiled at her friend, stretching and stifling a yawn. "You know…the older sister usually does things to help the younger sister."

"Don't flatter yourself," Sheba teased. "You're no more mature than Garet."

The Jupiter Adept rushed out of the room, barely dodging the small burst of fire shot at her.

--

Sheba had arrived just after a good time, it seemed. Felix and Isaac had found each other outside, near the inn, and Felix wasn't giving the poor boy any room to explain himself. However, she was pleased and relieved to see that Felix was, for the most part, calm.

"Listen," Isaac had finally shouted above Felix's upset talk. "You know how sorry I am, and if it helps, I've already vowed on my life to make sure that your sister isn't hurt while I'm around again. Anyone else but Jenna – you know that!"

Felix was silent for a moment, considering Isaac's serious tone. "Is she really that important to you, Isaac?" he inquired, prying further.

"What are you talking about? She and I grew up together – I can't imagine a life without her, Felix!"

"Yet I still wonder why you didn't stop Jenna from placing herself in a dangerous situation like-"

Isaac snapped. "I've _told_ you this already, Felix! She rested on her own, and I was too far away to pull her back!

Felix's anger rose with his. "Not to pull her back, Isaac…you failed to assess the situation, instead focusing on a girl you like! Besides, who said you were allowed to be anything more than friends with her?"

This remark completely maddened Isaac. "_Do I need your damned approval for everything?!_ Haven't I proved myself to you, Felix? You're not the _only_one with power!" he cried, emphasizing his argument by lifting several heavy stones nearby, and fiercely throwing them toward Felix. The Prox warrior easily dodged the attack, and prepared himself for a second, before he heard a shriek. A scream that sounded oddly familiar, and was cut off time and again.

Felix turned, and Isaac leaned over, to see Sheba doubled over on the ground. She was holding up her hands to protect herself from the sharp, heavy stones that Isaac still controlled. The rocks battered her and tore at her skin, forcing her to the ground, before Isaac released the spell. Sheba still covered her head, whimpering and crying.

Felix was stunned for a few moments, utter disbelief rendering him immobile until the cries of the girl grew more intense. He leapt up and rushed to her bleeding form, forcing all the Venus power he had left into her body to heal her wounds. The stones, slightly red with her blood, were kicked aside as Felix lifted her from the ground, doing a quick inspection of her. If he didn't hurry, Sheba would go into shock, and have less hope.

He spared a moment – just one moment – to glance back at Isaac with a mix of wonder, hatred, and depression, before he rushed back within the walls of the inn. He sped up to Jenna's room, laying Sheba down on the neighboring bed.

And that's what brought Isaac to a beggar. Begging forgiveness from not only Felix and Sheba, but Jenna as well. Begging to supply help to allow him less guilt. Begging himself to run away and forget everything. Begging Jenna to understand how he hadn't seen Sheba before. Begging her to listen.

Jenna was shocked and upset, and refused to be around Isaac at that time. She closed her door on him, turning her attention to Sheba. She called upon her Aura abilities, and proceeded to refresh the bodies of the three in the room.

--

Thus the events of the previous two days have led up to this moment. Jenna, Felix, and Sheba – when she recovered enough to talk weakly – discussed the actions of the unfortunate Venus Adept of Vale. Felix was furious for obvious reasons, and some other hidden ones he wouldn't expand upon. Jenna was upset that Isaac had injured her best friend in such a way. Sheba, surprisingly to the others with her, was forgiving his actions, passing them as "reckless" and "unintentional."

"It does give us some stuff to think about, though," Jenna commented after a moment of dry silence. "I had no idea Isaac could be so rash, so much as to attack his friend and ally."

"But it might have been deserved, for me…" Felix spoke slowly, clutching the ruined clothing Sheba had worn before. She had been able to change into clean and fresh clothes, leaving her robes and armor nearby. Her body was still bleeding slightly, and she would have extreme pain while moving for a while yet.

Jenna looked at her brother. "Why is that? You didn't provoke him, did you?"

Felix held back any verbal answer, confirming Jenna's questions.

"…What was said?"

The boy looked up at her, humbled. "I was saying to him that he made a mistake by not assessing the situation beforehand. If he had done so, you might have avoided danger altogether. But…he took it as though I were attacking him, and he began to fight. Eventually…we came to a point of how he was more focused on _you_ than on the ground, Jenna."

The Mars Adept remained quiet for a moment, considering what this meant. "What are you saying, then?" she asked.

"It's obvious, though…" Sheba breathed, moving her arm to indicate Jenna. Felix placed his hand on the injured girl's arm, wishing she would remain still and regain her health.

"Isaac has a thing for you, Jenna. It's clear that he likes you," he finished for Sheba.

All three allowed silence to reign while they processed this information. Jenna had hoped, not only that Isaac felt a bit of the same to her that she felt to him, but that such a realization could be under…better circumstances. It was hard for her to accept, knowing that he had injured her friend, and partially accepting Felix's reasoning.

"Curse this whole week," she muttered, though Felix and Sheba both caught it. Sheba grinned a little. "Why couldn't this have been…after we got home? Everything would have been better…"

"It would have been a boring week…" the injured girl murmured once more, despite Felix's requests to remain quiet and still. Sheba received an awe-filled look from her Mars Adept friend, who slowly began to walk out of the room.

"Jenna," Felix began, but he was denied a say. Jenna had already closed the door on her brother and bloodied friend.

--

Dusk was beginning to fall upon Angara, and Isaac had excused himself to the edges of Vault, thinking over what he had done in the last too many hours. Not only had he been unable to sufficiently protect the girl he fancied, but also caused extensive injury to a girl he hardly knew. On top of that, he probably had lost all good terms with his former rival, which meant many days of hardship were in store for him – respect and courtesy were probably lost when it came to Felix and Isaac now.

The boy kicked at the wet dirt under his boots, absent-minded and distraught. It seemed as though nothing he had done was right.

"Turn around, Isaac."

The Venus Adept stood rigid before shifting his stance to face the speaker. He was surprised to see Jenna coming toward him, her face both determined and wary. He eyes shone in the falling sunlight, and a breeze had caught her hair, sending it in impossible angles and curves.

Isaac was worried about her. He tried to explain himself for his actions over the last two days, but Jenna rushed forward and placed her finger to his mouth. This action had never been taken before, and thus caused Isaac greater worry.

"Do not fret yourself into a rage, Isaac."

Jenna slowly removed her finger from his lips, opting instead to take his hand in hers.

"We need to talk…calmly, and alone. Will you follow me?"

'_Till the end of the earth,'_ Isaac thought. He nodded his agreement, returning the grip Jenna was giving him. Slowly and purposefully, they descended back to Vault.

They had much to discuss.

**End**

I'll leave the rest to your imagination!

Author's comments: About time I did a Valeshipping one, even though there's not a whole lot of Valeshipping in this one. I do plan on expanding in this field of Golden Sun writing, but I daresay this is a sound start.

Thank you for reading, and here's to hopes of more quality gifts in the future!


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